The Sydney Morning Herald, 1860 October 13, p. 7
James Tyson was an early innovator in building dams and drilling for artesian water. This article is about a dam, sometimes called a tank, that he constructed on his Ten-Mile Station. It was gravity-fed by drains from a swamp two kilometres away.
Here’s a transcription of the article:
WATER SUPPLY ON THE PLAINS – Mr. James Tyson, having lately completed a very large reservoir at the Ten-mile station on his Upper Deniliquin run, invited his neighbours to meet him there to view it on Tuesday last. Owing to the wet weather and the heavy state of the roads, the gathering was not so numerous as there is reason to suppose it would otherwise have been, considering the paramount importance of the question of securing permanent water on our back plains. Two settlers from the Billabong put in an appearance, the Murray and the Tuppal also contributed their quota. All present declared themselves highly delighted at the noble sheet of water presented to their view, and heartily approved of the plan on which it was constructed. It may be taken as a proof of what our squatters would do towards improving their runs, had they security of tenure, and we may remark en passant, that by this and other improvements Mr Tyson has made, his ran can carry four times as much stock as it did when under the Company’s management. The tank measures 130 feet long by 70 feet wide, and contains 16 feet of water clear as crystal. It is lined throughout with pinetrees, and is sloped at each end to allow sheep to drink out of it. The water is collected from swamps in the vicinity by drains, one of which is a mile and a quarter long. These drains were made bv the plough and spade, are about three furrows wide, and are carefully finished off, so as not to allow the water to wash any dirt away with it into the tank. The immense quantity of earth thrown out in making this reservoir looks at a distance like a railway embankment. All agreed in pronouncing the tank a great success, and in lauding the care, skill, and forethought manifested in every part of its design and construction. – Southern Courier, October 5.
Article identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13047138
Page identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1487462
APA citation
COUNTRY NEWS. (1860, October 13). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved January 14, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13047138